Apparatus for making cigarettes



Dec. 16, 1958 D. w. MOLINS ETAL APPARATUS FOR MAKING CIGARETTES 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Dec. 3, 1956 INVENTOR D. \MMOLINS FFRuAu Wm M, MVQ/OW ATTORNEXS.

Dec. 16, 1958 D. w. MOLINS ETAL ,8 8

APPARATUS FOR MAKING CIGARETTES M, MYQ W ATTORNEYS United States Patent 6 APPARATUS FOR MAKING CIGARETTES Desmond Walter Molins, London, England, and Felix Frederic Ruau, deceased, late of London, England, by Caroline Marie Ruau, executrix, Purley, England, assignors to Molins Machine Company Limited, London, England, a British company Application December 3, 1956, Serial No. 625,775

Claims priority, application Great Britain December 6, 1955 4 Claims. (Cl. 131-94) This invention concerns improvements in or relating to apparatus for making cigarettes, and in particular, apparatus whereby cigarettes or composite cigarette articles which are travelling lengthwise are deflected sideways. The expression cigarette article where used herein is to be understood as including an ordinary cigarette as well as a composite article which comprises a cigarette or a length of cigarette red at one end. An example of such a composite article is an assemblage consisting of two lengths of cigarette rod joined to and abutting an intermediate double-length stub, which can be severed midway along its length to form two mouthpiece cigarettes. Examples of apparatus for deflecting such assemblages are disclosed in the specification and drawings of U. S. patent application Serial No. 559,946. For example, the said drawings show apparatus comprising a pusher plate mounted on a pair of rotating crank discs, to push assemblages sideways towards a rotating, rubber-covered roller which cooperates with a stationary surface to grip the assemblages and so arrest their endwise move ment, while continuing their sideways movement. It is found that with that arrangement, there is a tendency for tobacco to move forward relatively to the paper wrapper of a length of cigarette red when the assemblage is gripped and arrested, and that as a result tobacco sometimes protrudes from the end face of a cigarette length which forms the leading end part of a lengthwise-moving assemblage.

According to the present invention there is provided apparatus for deflecting cigarette articles which are moving lengthwise, and at whose leading end faces tobacco is exposed, comprising a stop positioned so as to be engaged by the leading end face of an endwise moving cigarette article so as to arrest the endwise movement of said article, and a pusher mounted for horizontal rotary movement so as to push said article sideways on an operative stroke, wherein the said stop is movable so as to permit the pusher to move past it on its return stroke. Preferably the stop is carried by a pivoted member having a cam-like part arranged to be engaged by the returning pusher so as to lift the said member. The part of the pusher which engages said cam-like part may be chamfered to provide a lead for the latter. Preferably the stop is shaped and positioned so as to be engaged only by the tobacco exposed at the said leading face of a cigarette article.

Apparatus according to the invention will now be described by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is a plan view;

Figure 2 is a sectional side elevation taken on the line IIII, Figure 1;

Figure 3 is a view similar to Figure 2 but with some of the parts in different positions; and

Figure 4 is a sectional view taken on the line IVIV, Figure l.

A tape conveys lengthwise in succession assemblages 2,864,389 Patented Dec. 16, 1958 A each consisting of two lengths of cigarette rods in endwise abutment with a double-length stub to which they are united by an encircling hand. These assemblages may be formed in the manner described in the specification referred to above. Each assemblage in turn is, by the deflecting mechanism about to be described, deflected sideways and moved into the flutes of a fluted drum 2, Figure l, on which they are cut in half by a disc knife which cuts through the double-length stub in each assemblage so as to produce two mouthpiece cigarettes.

A pusher plate 3 is fixed on a plate 4 which is mounted on two crank discs 5 and 6 arranged to rotate as indicated by the arrows, Figure 1. Thus the plate 3 moves in a rotary path which carries it across the tape 1 in an operative stroke, during which it pushes an assemblage sideways, and again in a return stroke. The operative face of the plate 3 is straight and nearly as long as an assemblage so as to engage an assemblage along substantially its whole length.

A stop consisting of a cylindrical stud 7, having a rounded face directed towards the leading end face of an assemblage carried forwardly by the tape 1, is mounted on an arm 8 pivoted at 9 for up and down movement. The arm is urged downwardly by a spring 10. The extent of its movement in both directions is limited by a pin 11 carried by a fixed bracket 12 and extending through a hole 13 in the arm 8, whereby the arm is held just clear of the tape 1 when in its lowest position, see Figure 2. The stud 7 is smaller in diameter than an assemblage so that when the leading end face of an assemblage is moved against it only the tobacco in the end face engages the stud.

Also fixed to the end of the arm 8 is a plate 14 having an arcuate, cam-like lower edge as shown in Figure 4.

The purpose of the stud 7 is to stop the endwise movement of each assemblage in turn just before it is engaged by the pusher plate 3. It will be seen, however, that the rotary movement of the plate 3 carries it behind the stud 7 so that on its return stroke it must pass the stud 7 and arm 8. This is made possible by the arrangement described above, whereby the arm 8 is pivoted for up and down movement, since the left-hand part of the plate 3 (as viewed in Figure 1) can engage the cam-like part 14 and thereby raise the arm and pass beneath it. To facilitate this the plate 3 is chamfered at 15, as best seen in Figure 4, where the plate 3 is shown in dot and dash lines engaging the part 14 just prior to lifting it. As soon as the plate 3 has passed beneath the arm 8 the arm is returned by the spring 10 to its lower position so that the stud 7 is again in line with the next oncoming assemblage.

Three side by side rollers provided with sponge rubber sleeves 16 are mounted on a shaft 17 for rapid rotation in the direction indicated by the arrow in Figure 2. The rollers are spaced a suitable distance above a stationary surface 18 so that assemblages deflected by the plate are lightly gripped between the rubber sleeves and the surface so that their sideways movement is continued and controlled and they are thereby delivered into the flutes of the drum 2.

It will be seen that the arrangement described makes it possible to arrest the axial movement of assemblages (or any other cigarette articles) by engagement between a stationary stop member and the tobacco exposed at the leading end faces of the articles, and thereby effect a certain compacting of the tobacco at the said end faces, while avoiding any tendency for that tobacco to move forward relatively to the tubular paper wrapper which contains it. At the same time it permits the use of a pusher member having a rotary movement as described and illustrated.

What we claim as our invention and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. Apparatus for deflecting cigarette articles which are moving lengthwise, and at whose leading end faces tobacco is exposed, comprising a stop positioned in line with endwise moving cigarette articles so as to be engaged by the leading end face of an endwise moving cigarette article so as to arrest the endwise movement of said article, and a pusher mounted for horizontal movement in a closed path so as to push said article sideways on an operative stroke, wherein the said stop is located within the said closed path and is movable out of said path clear of the pusher on each return stroke of the latter.

2. Apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the stop is carried by a pivoted member having a cam-like part 4 arranged to be engaged by the returning pusher so as to lift the said member.

3. Apparatus as claimed in claim 2, wherein the part of the pusher which engages the said cam-like part is chamfered to provide a lead for the latter.

4. Apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the stop is shaped and positioned so as to be engaged only by the tobacco exposed at the said leading face of a cigarette article.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 

